The moment the SoulNet allowed uploads, there were bound to be opportunists.
And among them, none shone brighter—nor darker—than Zhao Jian.
Zhao Jian was born clever.
Not brilliant like the savants who created tech for fun.Not foolish like those who blindly followed orders.
No, he was the type who could smell a loophole before it was written.
He had grown up surviving in a crowded urban underbelly, balancing three jobs, a part-time coding hustle, and a knack for sweet-talking both street vendors and online tutors.He didn't build things. He flipped them.
So when the SoulNet's [Upload Technology for SNC] function appeared, Zhao Jian's eyes gleamed.
"Currency for digital scraps? That's basically free money."
He wasn't entirely wrong.
He downloaded obscure open-source tech blueprints, made minor changes—renamed files, rephrased descriptions, switched a few values—and uploaded them as "custom inventions."
At first, it worked.
[ Upload Complete: Modified Oscillating Core Diode]
Detected Similarity: 73.2%Adjusted Value: 4 SoulNet Currency
He grinned.
Next, he took snippets from lesser-known forums, added meaningless technical-sounding buzzwords, and called it "A Quantum Link Compressor for Multi-Stream Energy Transfer."
Evaluation:
Uniqueness: Questionable
Usefulness: Low
Completeness: Partial
Reward: 2 SNC
Still something.
He ran five more like it.Then ten.
Then twenty.
Each small reward stacked in his wallet like golden coins in a vault.The SoulNet didn't stop him.
"This is genius," he chuckled. "I'm gaming the gods."
But then—on the twenty-sixth upload—everything changed.
He clicked [Upload] as usual, trying to pass off a cloned energy converter with swapped labels.
But this time, the bar froze at 87%.
The interface didn't blink.
Instead, a new prompt materialized, unfamiliar in form, deeper in color—like a submerged rune glowing from beneath deep waters.
[SoulNet Audit Protocol Engaged]
Evaluating Consistency Across User Submissions…User: Zhao JianSimilarity Pattern Detected: 19/26 Uploads linked to known sources with only cosmetic alterations.
Status: Abusing the Contribution SystemPenalty: Upload privileges suspended. Passive income halted. Reputation Score locked.
Zhao Jian's heart stuttered.
"Wait. Wait. What?"
He tapped frantically, trying to undo it.Blocked.
Tried to contact someone—anyone.
No response.
Then came the final message.
A chillingly polite tone.
"The SoulNet encourages innovation.
Replication without purpose is not innovation.
You are still welcome to learn. Reflect.
You will be reconsidered in 14 days."
And just like that, Zhao Jian became silent.
He stared at the screen for a long, long time.
No anger. No shouting. Just… stillness.
For the first time, he couldn't manipulate something.
Far away, Su Yuan sat in his usual place, his fingers resting lightly on the SoulNet's pulse.He had watched Zhao Jian from the start—had seen the uploads, the patterns.
But he hadn't stopped him immediately.
"People only reveal who they are when given choice," he murmured.
In his interface, a small window displayed:
Suspended User: Zhao JianObservation Status: OnPotential: Adaptive Strategist
He didn't blacklist him.
He didn't erase him.
Because even a deviant spark could burn brightly, given direction.
And if Zhao Jian learned—if he truly grew—he could become one of SoulNet's greatest assets.
Or its greatest threat.
Meanwhile, the forums buzzed.
"Hey, has anyone had their uploads blocked?""My friend got his reward reduced. Said it was 'unoriginal content'.""I think the system's watching us closer than we thought…"
A quiet reverence began to form.SoulNet wasn't just a tool.
It had judgment.